


Starlight

by shiritori



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Did I Mention Fluff, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Multi, Post-Canon, background sonia/gundam and koizumi/saionji, bc my kids need a break from all the despair, i tried to make this as fluffy as possible, komahina is the main ship the others are just hinted at, oh so much fluff, or you could consider this as just post-sdr2 it works either way, romantic strolls on the beach, set after hope arc of the anime, surprise parties, this is really cringe and not very original but who cares, updating the tags a year and a half later bc oof, written for hinata's birthday hooray
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-15 04:30:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9219110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiritori/pseuds/shiritori
Summary: The gang throws a surprise party for Hinata, to celebrate his birthday and the arrival of the new year. However, he discovers that being blasted in the face with confetti is far from the biggest surprise he will receive that evening.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this is like a week late but i only saw one hinata birthday fic in the tag and decided my boys deserve more love than that so i sat down yesterday night and thought 'welp, better late than never'

"Big bro Hinata, hurry up!" Saionji tugged at his sleeve impatiently as they walked across the bridge connecting the second island to the central island.

“I’m walking as fast as I can,” He muttered, glancing at Koizumi, whom the eager girl was also dragging along, but instead of gripping the sleeve of her jacket she was being pulled along by the hand. Koizumi shot him an apologetic glance, and shook her head with a slight smile. They both knew that it was pointless to try and tell the girl to slow down, so they just tried to keep up as well as they could and not stumble on the slightly uneven planks of the bridge.

When they had first awoken on Jabberwock Island, it was clear that the few flyers and brochures they found in the simulation that hinted at the real state of the island were not fake. While very similar to its appearance in the virtual world, there were several key differences between the two versions of the island. Most obviously, the six islands that made up the small archipelago were not connected by bridges, making travel between the islands very difficult. When Jabberwock Island had served as a resort, people had reached the outlying islands by a short trip in one of the several ferries that were operated by the resort staff. However, when they had woken up in the large administration building on the central island, there were no boats in sight. The Future Foundation had later provided them with several small rowboats to help them access the other islands without swimming, but this was not a perfect solution either. The boats were small, and could only hold four to five people each. They could be easily capsized by large waves, and were completely man-powered. It was much less tiring than swimming to the other islands, but it still took a good twenty minutes of rowing to reach their destination.

And so, they had decided to rebuild the bridges that had connected the island in the simulation. To their surprise, apparently before the resort was shut down work had already begun to construct bridges, as they found most of the basic structural supports had already been installed. All that remained was to strengthen the supports wherever necessary and pave the bridge so that it could be put to use. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find enough concrete to cover the whole thing, so the surface of the bridge was comprised of a thin, slotted layer of concrete covered with wooden planks. After they had returned from their mission helping the Future Foundation, they had made completion of the bridge connecting the central island to the first island their top priority. Naegi had been informed of this, and along with food he periodically sent them shipments of building supplies. In the few months since they had arrived back on the island, they had already completed construction of the first and second bridges. They had all worked hard so that they could resume life like they had grown used to in the simulation. At first Hinata was skeptical of the bridge’s safety, and its rough and uneven appearance did nothing to help his concerns. However, Souda ensured all of them that it was structurally sound, and therefore completely safe. This was proven further as he spectated several fights that occurred on the bridge between Owari and Nidai. If they could brawl and the bridge somehow remain intact, it would easily support his own weight.

He had spent most of the day on the second island with Saionji and Koizumi. They had hung out talking and reading in the library, and had cooked lunch for themselves in the diner. Others had come and gone, but for the most part they were all suspiciously absent. The girls had been insistent that he remained on the second island with them for the whole day. He wordlessly complied, suppressing a knowing smile. It was obvious they were planning something, but he decided to not ask questions and just wait to see what was to come.

As they stepped down from the bridge and walked into the park on the central island, Hinata couldn’t help but gaze upwards in awe at the administration building that towered above them. Even though he had spent much more time here than in the simulation’s version of the island, the building still felt out of place. He guessed that the others felt so too, as they had spent little time in the offices apart from the initial exploration after waking up. Even though this building had dozens of cozy, well-furnished condos built to house the hotel staff and several grand dining halls and meeting rooms, the hotel on the first island had remained their main headquarters. Old habits die hard, he supposed.

By the time they reached the first island, it was almost dark. A slight chill had begun to creep into the air, and Hinata was thankful for his jacket. Though they lived on a tropical island, it wasn’t completely sunny all the time, which was a harsh contrast to the endless clear skies and summer heat they had originally grown accustomed to. They were currently in the middle of the winter months, and while it was never very cold, things could get a bit chilly after the sun had set or during a stormy day. The skies had been remarkably clear today, which was a welcome change after nearly a week straight of rainy weather. As he gazed up at the sky, lost in thought, he didn’t even realize he had nearly bumped right into Souda until he felt a harsh tug on his sleeve.

“Ugh, watch where you’re going!” Saionji huffed, pulling him out of the way and narrowly avoiding a collision.

Hinata snapped his gaze forwards, trying to regain his balance as the girl shoved him out of the way. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t see you there, Souda.”

It didn’t look like Souda was watching where he was going either, judging by the surprise on his face. “Oh...Hinata! There you are....I was wondering where you went...” The other boy panted, scratching his head with a grin. His breath came in short gasps, and even in the dim light Hinata could see a glimmer of sweat on his forehead. Had he ran all the way here? And from where? Again Hinata shook his head with a small smile, deciding it would be best not to ask.

“Hey, Souda. We were just heading to the hotel lobby. Care to join us, or are you still busy?” Koizumi spoke up, shooting him a meaningful glance which Hinata pretended not to notice.

“Er...yeah I think that should be fine!” He glanced at his watch, and smiled triumphantly. “Let’s go, guys!”

 

* * *

 

It only took about five more minutes to reach the hotel, though by the time they arrived the sun had completely set. Hinata had to remind himself that even though it felt like a typical fall evening out it was really the middle of winter, and so the sky was completely dark in less than half an hour. Finally letting go of Hinata’s sleeve, Saionji took a step forward and opened the gate that surrounded the cottages. It really was dark, all the lights inside the cottages had been turned off and the only reason he didn’t trip was the soft light of the half moon that hovered up above. They finally stopped before the wide doors of the hotel lobby. Even the lights inside there had been turned off. If Hinata didn’t know better, he would say it was completely deserted.

“Go on, open the door,” Koizumi put a hand on her hip, the other still being held by Saionji.

Hinata stepped up to the door and paused, placing a hand on the handle. He thought he could hear giggling from within, and he smiled, resisting the urge to chuckle himself.

“Just open it! Don’t tell me you’re scared of the dark,” Saionji sneered. Her words were harsh as usual, but he could clearly make out thinly veiled humor and excitement in her tone.

“Okay okay, I’m opening it…” Hinata sighed. He slowly creaked open the door, and peeked his head inside.

“SURPRISE! ! !” Everybody in the room cheered. The lights flicked on, and Hinata was immediately hit in the face with a blast of confetti. Spluttering, he stepped through the doorway and was greeted with the sight of his friends sitting on the stairs that led up to the restaurant, beaming widely. He was hit by several more blasts of confetti, and was almost knocked off his feet when tackled from behind by an ecstatic Mioda.

“Happy birthday Hajime-chan!! And happy new year too! Ibuki gets to celebrate two holidays at once, kyahaha! This is going to be fantastic!” Mioda hugged him tightly, and Hinata struggled to breathe under the girl’s vice grip around his chest.

“Th-thanks Mioda,” He managed to choke out. “Thank you, everybody. This is...you didn’t have to do all this for me.” His hands helplessly scrabbled against the girl’s arms wrapped around him. Apparently she didn’t understand the meaning of a tap out. Her excitement was sweet, but Hinata was beginning to feel seriously lightheaded.

Kuzuryuu stepped forward, and helped Hinata gently pry off the clingy girl. He then clapped Hinata on the back, looking to the side with slight embarrassment. “It’s nothing. This is the least we could do. Most of us wouldn’t even be standing here right now if not for you. So...thanks.”

“Yeah, what baby gangster said! Thanks to you we get to eat that huge feast Hanamura made!” Ignoring Kuzuryuu’s grumbled curses Owari ruffled his hair, causing several pieces of confetti to flutter down.

At the mention of his name, Hanamura stepped forward and puffed his chest out proudly. “It’s my pleasure. Due to our current situation I haven’t been able to be as extravagant with the dishes I’ve created, but I still hope it will be to your tastes. And if it happens to be a different dish you crave...just say the word…”

“Gross, pervert!” Saionji hissed in disgust, stepping out of the doorway to stand beside Hinata. Koizumi and Souda followed. Before long, almost everyone had gathered in a circle around Hinata, talking loudly and laughing. Hinata let out a content sigh, gazing at his friends with affection. It was amazing that even after all that had happened they had managed to stick together and help each other through this. Even though what happened to them at Hope’s Peak and in the simulation was a horrifying, traumatic mistake, the bonds they had made had been very real. Even Tsumiki, normally quiet and anxious and trembling with fear, had come forward to cheer and thank Hinata with the rest of the group. After a few minutes of excited chatter Hanamura announced that it was time to begin eating, and once again everybody rushed to the stairs, many of them pushing past Hinata in the rush to be the first upstairs. He was fine with that, and lingered at the bottom of the staircase with a faint smile, watching them all make their way up the stairs with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

However, he noticed one person missing from the crowd. He scanned the room, slightly concerned. That was worrying, they all seemed to be getting along so well and yet Komaeda had hung back from the festivities. He spotted the boy in question sitting in a corner, over by the pool table. Even though he had been sitting well away from the doorway, he had somehow managed to get confetti in his hair.

Hinata made his way over to the boy. He was gazing down at the ground, and didn’t even notice his approach.

“You’ve got something in your hair,” He remarked, reaching out a hand and plucking a scrap of colorful paper from his curled, messy white locks.

Komaeda looked up in surprise. “Oh, Hinata-kun. What are you doing over here? Didn’t everybody else head upstairs?”

Hinata rolled his eyes, crumpling the bit of paper into a ball and flicking it at Komaeda. “I’m here to get you, of course. I noticed you didn’t join in with the rest of the group and was worried. Is everything alright?” Perhaps Komaeda was feeling left out. Hinata thought they had all finally gotten to the point where past mistakes had been forgiven, but perhaps this was wishful thinking and they didn’t make much of an effort to include him.

Komaeda looked away, nervously fiddling with the sleeve of his coat. He was obviously troubled, but he still gave Hinata a reassuring smile. “No need to worry, everything is fine. I spent most of the day cleaning the lobby and helping Hanamura-kun prepare the food. I’m just...a bit tired, that’s all. Parties aren’t really my thing.”

Hinata let out a soft sigh of relief. So the others had included him in their preparations. He felt a little guilty for doubting them in the first place, but the reassurance that everybody was working well together was good. He also couldn’t help but notice the similarity of what Komaeda had described and the events of the first party held in the simulation. A small pang of painful emotions ran through him at the thought, but he quickly shoved that aside. Komaeda and Hanamura had certainly noticed the parallel as well, and the fact that they had been able to move on from that and work together proved how much they had all changed for the better by learning to forgive each other and learn from their mistakes. “Yeah, honestly I’ve never been much of a party person myself. I never went to those huge parties people would sometimes host in their dorms back at Hope’s Peak. They were far too loud and chaotic for my taste. This is nice though.” Hinata smiled, reaching a hand out to Komaeda. “Let’s go join the others. I heard that Mioda challenged Owari to an eating contest, so if we don’t hurry I doubt there will be any food left.”

Komaeda chuckled, gazing at him warmly. “Lead the way, Hinata-kun.” He allowed himself to be pulled up by the hand, and they momentarily stood there, faces just inches apart.

Hinata’s eyes widened, and he felt his face grow hot, but he didn’t step away or let go of his hand. On impulse, he reached up with his free hand and flicked another piece of confetti out of the boy’s hair. He caught himself lingering bit too long, running the soft strands through his fingers for a few moments before he dropped his hand and jumped back, embarrassed.

“Really Hinata-kun, does the confetti bother you that much?” Komaeda murmured, his amusement evident.

Great job Hinata, you just ruined the moment, he chided himself. “Sh-shut up.” If by ‘bother him’ he meant ‘made the other boy look irresistibly cute’, then yes. “How did you even manage to get so much in your hair anyways? I didn’t see you anywhere nearby when the party poppers went off,” he muttered.

“Honestly, I have no clue either.” Komaeda smiled ruefully. Once he would have brought up his luck, but ever since he had awoken his luck cycle had been much more toned down. It had become a minor inconvenience or pleasant surprise, not a cruel, extreme factor that ruled his life. Since Kamukura had ultimate luck too, it was likely that the two forces had ended up cancelling each other out. As long as he was around Hinata, he could live a normal life. He smiled at the thought.

They were still holding hands, and neither of them had made a move to break apart or bring up the subject, so together they made their way up the stairs, bantering and grinning and blushing like the clueless idiots they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm splitting this into two parts bc i'm evil
> 
> and also because i got super motivated last night and wrote 3.5k words in a single sitting (which is super weird since i'm a lazy easily distracted fuck and rarely write more than a paragraph a day) and i woke up feeling not as interested and so i only wrote one other scene today and i still have to write the ending scene but i'm tired and since this is already so late i didn't want to hold off posting this for any longer so HERE WE ARE
> 
> i'll finish this tomorrow i swear
> 
> this is really my first attempt at writing pure fluff (everything i write turns angsty rip) so please let me know what you think!! as always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated and seriously make my day. constructive criticism is welcome too, i know this is pretty sloppily written but getting feedback on what i could do better is always good. thank you so much for reading, and see you tomorrow for the conclusion of this oneshot that was supposed to be a short little drabble but ended up several thousand words longer than i originally intended and therefore had to be split in half


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: cya guys tomorrow for the second part uwu  
> me 4 days later: ahahaha yeah dont worry i hate myself too

Despite Hanamura’s insistence that he had prepared a modest meal, it looked to Hinata like he had gone all-out. Several tables had been set to the side and covered with all sorts of dishes, ranging from simple appetizers to bowls of pasta to cakes and pies. They had even prepared a whole turkey, which Owari and Mioda were both devouring with terrifying fervor. Looking at all the food, Hinata couldn’t help but be a bit concerned that they would be short on food until the next shipment of supplies arrived in a few weeks. He brought this up, and Sonia assured him that they had planned the event in advance and had specifically requested the extra supplies. He was surprised they had been able to convince the Future Foundation to send them so much extra. Naegi and his friends must have had something to do with it. As much as he hated to admit it, after all they had done it was doubtful that the other members of the organization would treat them with so much kindness.

And so Hinata ate, talking to the others and spectating the two battling girls shoveling food in their mouths. It was a close call, but Owari managed to pull out a win after Mioda tearfully admitted defeat. She declared she was so full, she wouldn’t be able to put on the performance she had planned. Everybody commented on the disappointing news and told Mioda they hoped she felt better soon, but they all secretly breathed a sigh of relief that their eardrums would be spared for the night.

After they all finished eating, they helped clear the tables and wash the dishes, and put away the few leftovers there were. With all the platters of food it looked like it would take ages, but with fifteen people helping the work went by fairly quickly. Before long they were all in the hotel lobby again, seated in a circle and playing a rather intense round of go fish.

“D-do you have any fours..?” Tsumiki stuttered, gazing at Togami.

“Hmph, I’m afraid not. Go fish,” Togami responded.

“Ibuki-chan has fours! Lots of fours! You can ask me next time!”

“I’m...not sure you’re supposed to tell everyone that.” Pekoyama murmured, removing her glasses and wiping them with a sleeve with a tired expression on her face.

“O thunderous one, are you in the possession of any cards that will aid me in my mission to summon the devil himself?” Tanaka asked Nidai, curling out an arm towards him expectantly.

“Er, would you mind repeating that?” Nidai chuckled, scratching his head cluelessly.

“He means, do you have any cards with a six?” Sonia piped up, cuddling Tanaka’s hamsters with pure joy sparkling in her eyes. How she had learned to understand Tanaka’s eccentric style of speech was beyond Hinata, but he was glad to have a translator.

“Oh, so that’s what you mean! Yeah, here ya go!” Nidai handed Tanaka a card, the latter bursting into maniacal laughter as soon as he received it. He threw the rest of his deck to the side and placed down three cards in the middle of the circle, standing and drawing symbols in the air with a pointed finger.

“At long last, fate has dealt me the ultimate hand! With this I will be able to summon the gods of old, and descend into the depths of hell to reclaim my rightful throne.” He stretched a hand towards Sonia. “My queen, would you care to join me and rule the fiery depths by my side?”

With a smile, Sonia stood and grasped the other’s hand in both of hers. “Yes, we shall govern the vast burning plains of your homeland with your army of demons and my flaming sword of justice!”

“...All this because he got cards that made 666? Really?” Saionji muttered to Koizumi.

“Shush, let them have this moment,” She chided, shoving the other on the shoulder affectionately.

It was at this moment that Souda burst through the doors of the lobby. He had left about half an hour before, saying he needed to make some last minute preparations. What he was preparing Hinata didn’t know, but again he resisted the urge to ask, as it was obviously supposed to be another surprise.

Souda froze in the doorway, staring with shock at Sonia and Tanaka. His smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered, approaching the group with his usual sharp-toothed grin. Once, he would have been overcome with jealousy or been completely heartbroken by the sight, but now he simply accepted it as what it was. He knew that his affection for Sonia was unrequited, and so he had made peace with the fact and decided to move on.

“Er...I’m not quite sure what I’m interrupting here but everything is ready. You guys can come down to the beach now!” He was holding a remote control of some sorts, although as he noticed Hinata’s curious gaze he quickly hid the object behind his back.

Mioda sprang up, clapping her hands together. “Hooray, thank you Kazuichi-chan! Let’s go guys!”

“Just as I was about to win,” Togami grumbled, throwing his deck down on the table with exaggerated frustration.

“Who cares about the game, let’s get out of here.” Kuzuryuu stood, heading towards the door.

“Let’s do this!” Owari exclaimed, springing up from her seat and running to the door with the rest of the group, not even bothering to grab the coat she had haphazardly slung over the arcade machine earlier. Hinata doubted she would need it anyways. Even when they had attended Hope’s Peak, the girl had rarely worn anything but her favorite thin white shirt and low-cut skirt, no matter how cold it was outside.

With a faint smile, Hinata stood. Instead of moving to the doorway like the others, he made a detour over to the arcade machine and grabbed the jacket that hung off of it. The girl would likely have no use for it and cast it in the sand as soon as they arrived at the beach to spar with Nidai or perhaps Pekoyama, but he felt obliged to take it anyways. The reason they were all still together was because they had looked out for each other when no one else would, and Hinata felt no reason to stop now, even with the small things.

 

* * *

 

A chill breeze blew through Hinata’s hair as he walked along the path leading to the beach. They walked in a comfortable silence. Even those who were usually loud and talkative, such as Mioda and Owari, stayed quiet. Perhaps they had all sensed it was best not to disturb this moment of calm and instead spend a moment just looking at the stars and enjoying the simple companionship of their friends walking beside them. Hinata gazed up at the sky, feeling a burst of pride and contentment swell in his chest. It was amazing how far they had all come. Even when he was just living a normal life as a Reserve Course student, he never imagined that he would have a group of people he would be able to happily imagine spending his life with. After all the things they had done to the world and each other, he certainly never expected to be able to repair the bonds between them. And yet here they were, relaxing in companionable silence under the stars after a long day spent working together to express their gratitude for each other. The over-the-top celebration was partly due to Hinata’s birthday, but it was also a way to celebrate the arrival of the new year, and the bright outlook of a new future that they would create together.

Sand crunched under Hinata’s feet as they finally stepped off of the road and began weaving their way through the dunes towards the shoreline. Tall, wispy grasses swayed in the wind, small clumps of the dry grass dotting the dunes and the sand around them. The grass soon thinned out, and at last they were greeted with the sight of a large flat stretch of sand that was met by the gentle, lapping waves of the ocean. A firepit had been set up near one of the large palm trees that stood along the shore, and there was already a roaring fire going. Several simple benches were positioned around the fire, likely leftover scraps from their work on reconstructing the bridges that had been repurposed into suitable seats.

Tsumiki gasped, clutching at her hair in surprise. “T-this is…! It’s a campfire...I had n-no idea…” Her eyes were wide and glittered with joy. Her expression of shock was mirrored by the rest of them. So this hadn’t been a part of the plan from the beginning? Interesting. “But w-who…?”

“That would be me.” Souda stepped forward, grinning proudly. “I wanted to do something that would surprise everyone, so while you guys were playing cards I threw this together.”

Sonia clapped her hands together in approval. “Well done, Souda-san! This is definitely a most pleasant surprise.”

“Yes...t-thank you.” Tsumiki bowed her head and murmured shyly. Once she may have burst into tears of gratitude and insecurity, but now that she had grown used to talking with the others, she had become much less anxious and emotionally fragile. She still had a long way to go to completely overcome her social anxiety, but this was a promising sign of improvement.

“Heheh...no problem guys.” Souda scratched his head awkwardly, cheeks pink from all the praise. “I brought marshmallows and drinks too, in case anybody gets hungry.”

Hanamura sat on one of the benches, and crossed his arms, reprimanding them with a wave of his finger. “Y’all had better not be hungry after that huge supper I fixed for you!” Hanamura had begun to often lapse into his original manner of speech, especially when shocked or angry. Nobody complained or mentioned it to him. Though Hinata sometimes had to spend a moment pondering his words to understand the meaning of his southern drawl, he was glad he was growing comfortable enough around them to let his guard down at times and be himself.

“Please, no more food! Ibuki’s begging you…” Mioda groaned, slumping on a bench while clutching her stomach in mock pain.

Owari sat beside her and clapped her on the shoulder, flashing her a wide grin. “Don’t feel bad, ya put up the best fight I’ve had in years. Even Coach Nidai can’t eat as much as me.”

Nidai frowned. “It’s important to eat three balanced meals a day to keep your body strong, but eating too much isn’t good for you either. If you want to always be in prime condition, you should watch how much you eat.”

“Eh? Are you saying I can’t beat you with a full stomach? It’s on, old man!” Owari growled, springing up and slinging her jacket on the bench. Hinata chuckled to himself. As he had predicted. At least she had thought to wear it while they were walking.

The two moved a safe distance away and began to spar, shouting and growling with exertion. Pekoyama and Mioda followed them, standing closer to the brawl so they could get a better view. All Hinata could see from where he sat beside the fire was the thick clouds of dust and sand they were kicking up, but he imagined Nidai was winning by even more than usual.

Hinata sat beside Komaeda, staring into the flames and trying to resist the urge to lean against the other boy. He felt his cheeks warm up at the thought. The heat must be getting to his head.

Suddenly, a shrill beeping noise rang through the clearing. Hinata jumped, searching for the source of the noise. Souda fumbled with his watch for a moment, struggling in the dim light to locate the correct button to press, and soon the beeping ceased. Apparently Komaeda had been frightened by the sudden sound as well, and had instinctively grabbed Hinata’s arm. Hinata turned his head to look at him, heart pounding from more than just lingering shock. After a few moments, Komaeda released his arm with an apologetic smile.

“Ugh, just get a room you two,” Saionji muttered just loudly enough for everyone to hear. Hinata gaped at her, mortified. Koizumi turned to glare at her, as was the usual whenever she made an especially snide comment. He felt Komaeda shift beside him, but he didn’t dare look up to read his expression.

Souda coughed awkwardly. “Er...anyways. I set that alarm so we don’t miss the big moment. It should be almost time.” Hinata raised his head and looked up at the sky. He wasn’t wearing a watch, but since the moon was high overhead it was likely near midnight.

“I’ll go fetch the others,” Togami volunteered. He strode away, pausing to speak to Midoa and Pekoyama, then heading directly for the center of the dust cloud.

As he was enveloped in the swirling cloud, Tsumiki let out a quiet sniffle. “He was...a good man.”

“Truly brave. I commend his courage.” Sonia murmured solemnly.

It had become an unspoken rule among them to stay as far away from any fights that broke out between Nidai and Owari as possible. Their brawls were known for causing massive collateral damage, and approaching them while they were sparring was indeed a great feat of courage.

Kuzuryuu scoffed. “Tch. Somebody had to do it. He’s a fool for volunteering, but kudos to him anyways.”

 

* * *

 

Surprisingly enough, Togami returned unharmed. His white suit was now more of a pale dusty brown, but he seemed not to notice. Or maybe he just didn’t care. As was Hinata’s suspicion, Owari seemed to have lost the fight. Though both of them were also covered in a fair amount of sand, so she evidently still put up a good fight.

“Alright, three minutes…” Souda announced, checking his watch and also messing with some switches on that strange remote of his. They had moved away from the fire and were all standing near the shoreline.

“Ibuki’s so excited, she thinks she might explode!” The girl was jumping up and down with frightening speed, and Hinata had to agree with her.

“At least wait until Souda-kun presses the button…” Komaeda chuckled.

Saionji whimpered. “Shush big bro Komaeda, you’ll ruin the surprise!”

“Ah...my bad. Sorry.” He looked away, tone slightly lowered. He doubted any of the others noticed it, but from his subdued tone Hinata could tell Saionji’s words had affected him more than he wanted to admit.

Hinata hated to see Komaeda blame himself like this, so he opened his mouth to comfort him. However, to Hinata’s surprise Souda beat him to it.

“There’s only about two minutes left anyways, so don’t worry about it.” He looked up from adjusting the dials on his remote to give Komaeda a warm smile. Hinata found himself smiling too. It was good to know that he wasn’t the only one looking out for the boy.

“I...feel like I should say something…” Koizumi murmured, gazing out at the horizon.

Tanaka spoke, his voice unusually serious. “Looking back on our time in this endless maze of fate, we have hit many dead ends, and countless times I wished to retrace my footprints and choose a different path. However, it is naive to be forever fixated on what could have been. Instead, we must forge forwards, no matter how narrow the path we walk may be. And if we reach a point where we can go no further we must carve our own path. We may not be able to heal the massive rifts we have torn in the world, but we can do our best to ensure we learn from our wrongdoings and trail a thread behind us as we walk so even when we inevitably fall, others can be guided to the path paved with golden bricks that we painstakingly chipped away instead of the dark, curving mess of wrong turns we almost lost ourselves in.”

They all stared at him in awe. Despite the usual convoluted phrases and strange analogies, what he said was surprisingly deep, and very eloquently put. “Dude, you should like, write poetry or something,” Owari yawned, still trying to dust all the sand from her hair.

“You..really think so…? Thank you, young warrior.” Tanaka pulled his scarf up over his face, trying to hide his embarrassment. His hamsters squeaked in protest, and one of them skittered onto Sonia’s shoulder and nuzzled into her hair instead.

“Alright, one minute!” Souda cheered.

Kuzuryuu shuffled his feet. “Well...I don’t know what to say other than it’s been one hell of a year.”

“You can say that again!” Nidai chuckled. “We’ve been through a lot of shit this year, but I think the worst has passed.”

Pekoyama leaned on her bamboo katana, the tip sinking into the sand. “Do not forget that we still have a long way to go, and it will definitely not be easy. We must not let our guard down.”

“Pekoyama-san is correct!” Sonia decreed. “We have yet to complete the construction of the remaining three bridges. We cannot rest until we make this island a paradise truly worthy of accommodating the demon underlings of legend.” She held out the hamster, and it gave a triumphant chirp.

“I recall those little rascals seemed quite happy with the feast I made for y’all, thank you very much.” Hanamura huffed, proudly adjusting his chef’s hat. He seemed quite pleased by the fact that his cooking met the apparently high standards of the fluffy little rodents.

Togami crossed his arms. “You would have to lack any sort of judgement at all if you declared those cookies were below your expectations. Even a man with such refined tastes as myself can recognize greatness from just the fragrant scent alone.”

“Only t-ten more seconds left!” Tsumiki exclaimed, peering over at Souda’s watch.

“Nine,” Pekoyama stated.

“Eight!” cheered Mioda.

They all began to count down together, shouting the numbers as loud as they could as they gazed out over the waves.

“SEVEN….SIX….FIVE….FOUR….THREE….TWO….ONE….HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

Suddenly the sky was filled with bright, beautiful bursts of color, shooting up into the night from a distant point on the horizon. What started off as small pinpricks of light rapidly soared into the air and exploded in a flash of vibrant color, lingering in the sky for several moments before fading away to be replaced by a new shower of glowing sparks. Hinata gazed at the sky in awe. So that’s the other surprise they had hinted at!

He was nearly knocked off his feet when for the second time that day he was hugtackled by Mioda. The others soon joined in, and before long he was at the middle of a huge group hug.

“Khh...can’t...breathe…” Hinata mumbled. The others stepped back after a few moments, grinning sheepishly.

“Hey, happy birthday Hinata!” Owari clapped him on the shoulder with a frightening amount of force. He winced, taking a step back and rubbing his arm gingerly.

“There’s no need to go through all this again…” Hinata chuckled.

“Of course there is!” Mioda stomped her foot, burying her boot in the sand. She seemed not to care. “Today was just the pre-party, we still have 24 whole hours to celebrate Hajime-chan’s actual birthday! Ibuki’s got a concert planned and everything!”

“...I knew it was a mistake to hold an early party,” Togami muttered.

“I spent the whole day yesterday cooking, and you want to prepare another birthday dinner?! Y’all are getting leftovers.”

“Hey, as long as it’s food, I don’t care.”

Hinata sighed, turning back to look out over the sea. The fireworks show was still going on, small bursts of color lighting up the sky every few moments. Like a vast, shimmering mirror, the ocean was dotted with the wavering reflection of the explosions. It was absolutely breathtaking.

On impulse, he took a few steps away from the group. As their banter faded into the distance the sand grew hard and compact beneath him, tiny shells crunching beneath his feet. He continued forward until he reached the shoreline, stopping at the point where the water lapped against the sand. He actually considered taking his shoes off and stepping into the water, just for the hell of it, but as a brisk gust of wind ruffled his hair he quickly discarded that idea. He jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding being hit by a wave. Maybe standing right at the edge wasn’t such a great idea. He took a few steps back, crossing his arms and surveying the horizon once more.

The view from so close to the water was even more amazing. The wind had stirred up some small waves, and the image of the fireworks was blurry and fragmented. He stared at the waves, mesmerised by the flickering light. He heard the faint crunch of approaching footsteps, but he didn’t avert his eyes, instead trying to make out the shape of the moon in the crashing waves.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” A soft voice murmured beside him.

“It is, it really is.” Not as beautiful as you, he wanted to say. Wait, what? Thoughts like this had been coming to him more and more lately, though he had only just recently realized and accepted what they meant. “I have no idea how Souda managed to pull something like this off.”

“Well, we found some fireworks in the military base, though there were only about a hundred of them. I suppose he located the necessary supplies and figured out how to make more. Though surely they should be about done by now.” It was true, there had been about thirty fireworks set off each minute, and the display had been going on for around ten minutes. He couldn’t recall consciously counting the fireworks, but he didn’t question the number that popped into his head. He had learned not to question things like this. Though he was no longer a sentient part of Hinata, Kamukura’s influence in his brain lived on in little tidbits of knowledge and flashes of memory he would sometimes receive. It was odd, and frightening at first, but he had grown used to it.

“That’s Souda for you.” Hinata chuckled, switching his gaze from the ocean to the night sky. It was no longer completely clear, and instead was quickly becoming marred by a large cloud of smoke from the constant explosions. “I wish it didn’t have to end.”  
“All good things come to an end,” Komaeda stated simply, burying his hands into the pockets of his oversized coat with a wistful smile. Hinata stayed quiet, lost in thought.

A peaceful silence settled between the two of them. Hinata’s feet began to carry him in an aimless path, walking along the shoreline, gaze still fixed on the sky. The light and noise from the bonfire gradually faded even more until it was just a bright speck in the distance. Komaeda followed wordlessly, falling into step beside him. The fireworks were beginning to slow down, shooting into the sky with longer and longer intervals.

He sighed, closing his eyes, letting his legs carry him forward. He was still amazed that his friends had done all this for him. It was all a bit overwhelming, but he was touched that they had put so much thought and effort into this evening. He was glad things had turned out like this. He still had many regrets, and once he would have given anything to turn back time and fix all the mistakes he had made. But now, he wasn’t so sure. He would never have met his fellow classmates if he hadn’t gone through with the Kamukura project. He would have graduated as an unremarkable student from the Reserve Course and gone on to get an unremarkable job and live an unremarkable life. If the others had still fallen into despair and toppled the school by targeting the Reserve Course, perhaps he wouldn’t have even made it that far. Still, without his-- no, Kamukura’s-- help they wouldn’t have been able to cause as much damage as they did. He knew it was selfish, but even if he had the option to take it all back he wasn’t sure if he would want to.

As if Komaeda could read his thoughts, he spoke. “There’s no point in worrying about the past, Hinata-kun. If that is indeed what you’re thinking about. What’s done is done, and we have no choice but to move on as best as we can.”

Hinata cracked an eye open, gazing the other boy with amusement. “Since when did you get so wise?”

Komaeda shrugged. “I’m just repeating what you told me back when we first woke up. Whenever I was struggling with things, I would repeat those words in my head over and over until I finally began to understand and accept their meaning.”

They had stopped walking, and were now facing each other. A burst of brilliant red sparks showered down from above, the light casting a pinkish glow on Komaeda’s fluffy white hair. As he looked at him, Hinata was filled with a warm feeling of affection. “You’re amazing Komaeda, you know that?”

The other boy studied the ground, embarrassed. “H-Hinata-kun...you’re too kind.” Hinata noticed that he didn’t try to argue against him, as he once would have. This thought filled him with even more joy. He was happy, happier than he had been in a long time. Just the knowledge that he had been able to help his friends achieve peace with themselves and with each other flooded him with an optimistic, daring, euphoric joy. Was this what it felt like to truly live in the moment? What would you even call something as exhilarating and rewarding as this? He wanted to hunt this feeling down, trap it and keep it glowing within him forever, outshining the sorrow of the memories of his past and instead filling him with a bright, beautiful warmth. And somehow, he sensed that wouldn’t be as hard as it seemed. As long as they were all on this island together. They would help each other heal and grow until this feeling could bloom within all of their hearts and they could finally be at peace.

And so, Hinata decided to embrace his feelings and throw caution to the wind. The former reluctance holding him back had vanished, and was replaced by a warm sensation of happiness and longing. He knew what he wanted now, he was sure of it.

Gathering all of his courage, he stepped forwards and took Komaeda’s hands in his own. The other boy’s eyes widened with surprise, but he didn’t pull away.

“Komaeda....I…” Hinata whispered, desperately trying to keep his hands from shaking. “Komaeda, you’re amazing, and talented, and beautiful, and probably the most clever person I know. And I want to make sure you’ll never forget that. Even when you wholeheartedly believe my words and no longer need encouragement, I want to remind you over and over again...just because it’s true. I don’t care how many times I have to say it. B-but...I hope you give me the opportunity to say it once more. And again. And again. And again. You said all good things have to come to an end, which is true. Everything ends eventually. But I’m...so selfish. I never want to stop. I want to go on reminding you...every day...f-forever.” Hinata felt a warm tear trickle down his cheek. He was crying, and didn’t even care. The emotions that had filled him up were spilling over and it was impossible to stop them even if he wanted to. “S-sorry...I’m rambling now...I just…”

He was cut off as Komaeda lunged forward, wrapping him in a tight embrace. Hinata buried his face in his shoulder, feeling like he was dreaming. After a few moments Komaeda pulled back, gazing up into Hinata’s eyes with pure fondness and admiration. “Hinata-kun...thank you….I’m...so glad…” His own gray-green eyes sparkled with tears of joy, and his warm smile was enough to take Hinata’s breath away. He reached a hand up and dried Hinata’s cheek, letting his fingers run down his jawline until they settled on his chin.

Suddenly, his pure smile turned mischievous. “I have an idea for another birthday present…” he murmured in a low tone.

Hinata froze, hopelessly entranced. God, how he wanted to hear more of that voice. “Y-yes?” He choked out, feeling his face heat up.

In response, Komaeda shut his eyes slowly leaned forward. Hinata gasped, closing his eyes in expectation. To his surprise and ultimate disappointment, Komaeda placed a quick kiss on his cheek. He drew back, with lowered eyelids and a smirk that was infuriating yet absolutely alluring.

“D-don’t tease…” Hinata muttered crossly, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“Hmm? What do you mean?” The other boy practically purred. How was it possible for his smile to seem so innocent and yet be so knowing at the same time? There were many things about Komaeda that enraptured and intrigued him, and this was one of them.

“You know what I mean,” Hinata huffed, before finally giving in and pulling him into a real kiss.

Komaeda’s lips were soft and warm, and Hinata felt like his brain was short-circuiting. He was unable to think or breathe or do anything. They stood there for what felt like an eternity, locked in a passionate embrace as brilliant colors filled the sky above them.

Due to Hinata’s apparent state of paralysis, in the end it was Komaeda who pulled away, resting a hand on Hinata’s cheek in contentment. “Happy birthday, Hinata-kun,” He whispered. Suddenly, his eyes sparkled with mischief again, and he moved his hand upwards to flick a stray bit of paper out of Hinata’s hair.

Hinata stifled a chuckle. “Does the confetti really bother you that much?” He echoed, returning the boy’s knowing smile. How there was still confetti in his hair in the first place was a mystery. During the span of the evening Owari had cheerfully ruffled his hair more times than he could count, and it had also been fairly windy outdoors.

Komaeda tilted his head to the side. “No. It doesn’t bother me at all. I think it looks quite adorable, actually. Consider it payback for earlier.” At the sight of Hinata’s shocked expression and once again reddening face, he narrowed his eyes. “And consider this payback for being so impatient.”

As the finale of the fireworks show drew to a close, a rapid succession of sparks shooting up into the air and bursting with bright flashes of vibrant colors, Komaeda pulled Hinata into another kiss.

Ah, so that’s what that feeling is called, Hinata thought to himself, dazed.

Hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah i pulled the hope card fite me
> 
> ok so first off i'm sooo so sorry for not posting this earlier. i was really busy over the weekend and barely had any time to write so i ended up not being able to sit down and finish this chapter until today. i had been working on it whenever i could but, as usual i wrote approximately 3x more than i expected so it took way longer than i thought to finish
> 
> also, i know i set myself a rule of just writing pure fluff and there were a couple of deeper moments in this chapter (i really can't help myself can i) but it just felt right y'know?? and it might be just me but i think adding a tiny little hint of despair will only make the fluff even fluffier bc you realize that these characters could be suffering right now. but they're not. sorry about that anyways i promised 100% fluff and i kinda almost broke my own rule oops
> 
> but yeah, in case you didn't realize i love showing how much these characters have changed and healed and i took pretty much every opportunity i could to describe how they've all started to recover from all the shit they went through and all live together now in friendship and harmony
> 
> oh yeah idk if i mentioned this but this fic is named after the song starlight by flux pavillion bc its always been one of my fav dubstep songs and holds quite a bit of sentimental value for me. the more you know
> 
> hmm that's about it i think?? i literally cannot thank you guys enough for all the kind comments and kudos. i'm shocked that people enjoyed this so much. it was supposed to just be a self-indulgent little drabble but it grew into much more than that haha. this happy lil post-canon universe was super fun to write, so who knows maybe when i'm not working on my multi-chapter angst fic i might get around to writing some more one shots based off of this
> 
> as usual, thank you guys so much for reading! please feel free to share your thoughts about this grande finale down below, and if you enjoyed this please consider leaving a comment or kudo. they make my day, seriously. until next time! <3


End file.
